Tom Roe to run in Corangamite

ANOTHER contender has thrown their hat in the ring for Corangamite, following Tom Roe’s declaration he will stand as an independent in the coming federal election.

Mr Roe said he was running to not only “provide an alternative voice for the people of Corangamite and our regional community” but also “fill the gaping void in the pragmatic, honest and sensible centre right”.

The investment banker and land economist was previously a member of the Barwon Region Liberal Party, but resigned his membership in July in protest over the endorsement of incumbent Geelong mayor Stephanie Asher as the Liberals’ candidate for Corangamite.

He is also concerned the federal arm of the Liberal Party has moved too far to the left on issues including “population growth, locking a large part of Corangamite up from further change, the lack of funding and timely delivery of our desperately needed infrastructure need, and cutting right across the decentralisation agenda”.

“This includes destroying the foundations for creating self-sustaining quality employment prospects, choice, diversity and economic opportunity for our region’s children and the generations to follow,” he said.

Mr Roe is continuing to advocate for a scheme equivalent to the Growth Areas Infrastructure Contribution in metropolitan Melbourne to be imposed across the City of Greater Geelong, and is concerned at the “systematic undermining” of the federal Constitution.

“This has come at considerable financial and social cost to Victoria (and NSW) and is destroying many of the fundamental attributes that our federal Constitution was designed to provide to all member states and the people of the Commonwealth of Australia – most particularly state-led fiscal autonomy, responsibility and consequence under a federalist competitive framework,” he said.

“This has been occurring over many decades but has never been as more acute as it is in recent times led by our federal political class. We see it today as vote buying.

“If you ever wanted to see a more egregious example, one need look no further than all the political posturing and handwaving from both the Labor and Liberal federal representatives over the various promises and counter-promises to fund the proposed North Bellarine Aquatic Centre.”